Archive for Favorite Recipes
{365:20-22} sustenance
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{365:20} These two lovely sourdough loaves are my second batch, made from the wild sourdough starter that I *caught* using this recipe from Rebecca at Cooking without almost everything (thank-you!). I had just enough rye to mill and use with the starter recipe, and have now switched to feeding my mother starter fresh-milled hard red wheat. I think that I've found the perfect basic recipe for making our everyday sourdough bread/sandwich loaves.
I've been using Wardeh's Basic Sourdough recipe (thank you Wardeh!). If you're wondering why I'm even bothering learning how to make sourdough bread, then click here to read what Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS has to say regarding The Differences Between Quick Yeasted Bread and Wild Yeasted Sourdough Bread.
{365:21} Sourdough loaves... again. Not the most exciting picture, I know, sorry. But you have to realize what these loaves here represent! Yes, not only are they super-nutritious, but the whole family agrees that they are delicious, and are requesting MORE! Successs, Yesssssss! I'm actually getting familiar with the process now, and I think I'm finding a rhythm with keeping them cycling so that we always have a loaf out to eat, a couple in the freezer and more *souring* to go in the oven... very fulfilling! Also, for the past month, I've kept us supplied with freshly baked home-made, whole grain breads! This is HUGE! It's been a goal of mine for a long time (years!), to actually reach the point where I'm baking all of the bread that we consume from scratch.
It's more economical, and healthier too! Whoo-hoo!
And speaking of economics...
{365:22} My man (isn't he handsome?) had another job interview today, in Birmingham, AL! He feels like it went well... Two more weeks until we'll hear anything though. ACK! TWO more weeks of utter suspense!? Meanwhile, we're thanking Adonai for His provision and trusting Him to provide our daily bread, by prospering the work of my man's hands, even as He guides us into the future!
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
This 365 Project really is helping me update my blog here more regularly, isn't it? I have quite a few more posts on my list of things I'd like to share with ya'll, but hey... at least I'm posting something! 
Home-Made Chicken Noodle Soup
Posted by: | CommentsThere are very few foods that I actually get to craving if I go too long without them, and this is one of them. I also get a lot of requests for this one from my 13.5 year old son. This recipe has evolved (I added more stuff) over the years from the one that my dear friend Barbara taught me about seven (or so?) years ago. I think that you'll find it's very simple to make and may even become one of your family's favorites!
Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 Whole Chicken (I like to buy up the all natural, anti-biotic and hormone free ones when they're on sale and freeze them straight away.)
- 1 stock/stew pot full of about 1.5 gallons of clean water
- 3-5 spears of celery, washed and chopped into thirds
- 2 large onions, peeled and quartered
- 4-8 (I use about 8 altogether) garlic cloves, peeled.
- A heap of baby carrots, sliced, or a couple regular sized ones, sliced.
- 1 16 oz. bag of frozen corn.
- 1 16 oz. bag of frozen green beans.
- 4-5 Mushrooms, if you like them (purely optional, as are the rest of the veggies, according to your family's taste).
- 1 16 oz. bag of Egg Noodles. I prefer the thin all natural Inn Maid Amish ones.
- Sea Salt
- Herbs: Oregano, Thyme and Sage, if you have it. I've used only oregano before too, and if you don't have fresh herbs, then just used dried. However, I've been amazed at what a difference the flavor of fresh herbs makes!
- Cayenne Pepper, just a dash.
The first thing to do is start your broth by rinsing the chicken and putting it in your pot of water. Fill the pot to cover the chicken, and then add your chopped up celery and onions, along with 3-5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed. The fresh garlic is so good for you, I encourage you to take the time to use it, rather than garlic powder. Also, it doesn't make a strong garlic flavor at all, even when I use 8 cloves in a pot, so be generous. At this point, I've added five cloves, and will add the other three later. Boil these ingredients, and remember to keep your lid tilted to let some of the steam out so that it doesn't boil over (the chicken is in this pot, under the veggies floating on top).
Once the chicken is cooked, after about 20 minutes or so of a rolling boil, remove it and put it in a big bowl to cool off. Allow the veggies to boil awhile longer, until the onions are transparent. While the chicken's cooling and your veggies are simmering in the broth, gather the rest of your ingredients together:
Once they're ready, strain the onions and celery out of the broth, so that you're left with a clear broth. I use a slotted spoon to do this, like so:
Once I have a clear broth, keeping it simmering, I mince the rest of my garlic cloves into it with my handy-dandy garlic press. Then I chop the carrots and throw them in, along with my herbs, some salt and the shrooms, corn and green beans. Bring back to a boil, and while those are all simmering, I like to break off the chicken legs at the thighs and drop them back in the soup to simmer longer, so as to add more flavor to the broth. For some reason the dark meat doesn't get tough when you cook it longer, whereas the chicken breasts would.
Meanwhile, remove the white meat from the chicken carcass and chop it up- then set it aside. Pour any broth that's drained from it while it was cooling back into your pot of soup. Remove the legs/thighs and let them cool for a few minutes.
Then de-bone and dice up that meat as well, adding it into your pot of simmering soup as it's chopped. Pick any meat left on the carcass off and add into the pot. Then add your noodles, and now add your white meat last, along with a dash of cayenne pepper (which is just so good for you, and you won't even taste if you don't overdo it). Stir it all up really good, turn the heat off, put your lid on, and let it sit for about ten minutes before serving (the noodles that I use are so thin that they soften just sitting there long enough in the hot broth).
Mmmmm-hmmmm... perfect for filling up the bottomless pit that is my son's stomach. Tonight as he gobbled down his second bowl FULL he exclaimed over how "Awesome!" it is, and that "it's just perfect how it's light to eat, yet hearty at the same time". Yeah, his words- he's a connoiseur, for sure!
I like to have sharp cheddar cheese and crackers with mine... Home-made chicken and noodle soup, nothing quite like it! Let me know if you try it. Enjoy!
wordless wednesday: How old are you?!
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ONE!
To see some more pictures of her sweetness eating her cake(s), you can click here on my flickr. T helped me to make a cake from scratch for baby S, and we found this great recipe from a friend. We also made real Butter Cream frosting for the first time, which was so delectable! I'll share that recipe below as well.
Delicious Marble Cake Recipe
Batter Mix
- 1/4 c. butter
- 1.5 c. sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 3 c. flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 c. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate Mix
- 3 Tbsp. cocoa
- 4 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 c. hot water
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks in one at a time and beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add alternately with milk to cream mixture. Add vanilla and mix. Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter. Remove 1/3 of batter and set aside.
Mix together cocoa, sugar, baking soda and hot water to make chocolate syrup. Add the chocolate syrup to the 1/3 of cake batter that you've set aside and mix well. Spoon batter into prepared pan (cooking-sprayed and floured), alternating vanilla and chocolate batter. Bake @ 350 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until knife inserted comes out clean.
Buttercream Frosting
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 c. butter, softened
- Milk
In a small pan over medium-high heat, bring sugar and water to a boil, then continue to boil without stirring for 1.5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place egg yolks in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and lemon colored. With beaters going, pour hot syrup into eggs in one steady stream. Do not scrape syrup from pan. Continue to beat, scraping bowl often, for 5 minutes or until mixture feels cool to the touch. Beat in butter, a tablespoon at a time, until light and fluffy. Stir in milk until mixture reaches desired spreading consistency. Makes about 1.5 cups.
~ excerpted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Easy Basics for Good Cooking
cookies in a pinch
Posted by: | CommentsIt was a few weeks ago that I was scheduled to bring a yummy snacky-snack to our Monday morning homeschool co-op, and remembered this as I was tucking the kids into bed around 9 p.m. on Sunday evening, whilst Chris waited for me to join him for a movie. Oh no?! What to fix, fast? And it came to me... I could fix those cookie bar thingies that I brought to crop-club awhile back and my friend R went bonkers over. Yeah, that only took like 5 minutes to mix up and throw in the oven... and they might even pass off for gourmet chewy/oatmeal breakfast bars, yeah!
And I fetched my trusty Farm Journal Cookie recipe book, turned to p. 36, whipped them up, spread them in the pan and popped 'em in the oven. Wha-la! And they were such a hit at co-op that I had moms asking me for the recipe all day long. And then the next week (when I'd forgotten to bring the recipe with) reminding me to bring that recipe. And SO, I've typed it all out to bring tomorrow and thought that I ought to copy it here for your feasting as well, just in case you're ever in a pinch for a tasty, fast cookie.
Oatmeal/Chocolate Bars
~ Taken from the Farm Journal’s “Home-Made Cookies” recipe book, per popular request. 
• 1 ½ c. brown sugar, firmly packed
• ¾ c. sugar (I only use 1/2 c.)
• 1 c. butter (the recipe actually calls for shortening, but I use butter instead- it's healthier and probably tastes better too)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 ¼ c. sifted flour (I use ww)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¾ c. milk
• 4 c. rolled oats (quick or regular)
• 1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces
1. Cream sugars with butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. Sift together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture along with milk. Stir in oats and chocolate pieces.
3. Spread batter in greased 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1” jelly roll pan. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 30 minutes. While warm, cut in 2x1” bars, but cool completely in pan on rack. Makes about 6 dozen.
Pickled Japs
Posted by: | CommentsI knew that we wouldn't be able to eat all these jalapenoes...
And so, I started googling how to pickle them, and read quite a few different recipes and methods, finally coming up with my own conglomeration of ingredients that sounded good. I made them the other day, and am hoping that they turn out tasty (waiting a few weeks before trying them, to let the flavors blend really well).
Here's what I did:
I sliced up all those japs you see there, and put them into 6 pint-sized jars, added about 5 organic baby carrots on top (decided to go with these instead of slicing the big ones you see peeled there), then a handful of fresh cilantro and a peeled clove of garlic to each jar.
Then I measured out and poured 3 cups of White Wine Vinegar and 4-5 cups (can't remember now?) of organic, raw apple-cider vinegar into my big stainless steel pot, and turned it on medium heat to start it simmering.
Next T added the following to the simmering vinegar:
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 T. peppercorns
- 2 T. cumin seeds
- 2 T. mustard seeds
- 2 T. coriander seeds
- 2 T. sugar
- 2 T. kosher salt
Then we let that simmer until we couldn't stand the stench of the vinegar rapidly filling the house any longer (about 15 mins.). Next I poured the mixture over the veggies in the jar, through a fine strainer, so as to catch all the spices. I removed and trashed the bay leaves, but distributed the rest of the spices evenly among the six jars. I think they turned out really pretty, very colorful.
Then I put the sterilized lids tightly on the jars and put them into a pot of water to simmer/seal for 15 minutes.
Hope I did it right, guess we'll see soon enough!
*Update* I did purposely use healthy vinegars, rather than the distilled vinegar (which is actually not good/healthy for consumption). Also, if you have a way to do it, I'd suggest that you do your simmering of the vinegar with ingredients outside, as it will create quite a lot of smell and fumes in your house, even with all the windows and doors open, and fans running! LOL But they were so good, I ended up giving away quite a few pints as gifts, and will definitely be making more soon!
Oh, and do be sure to wear some sort of plastic gloves, or your skin could be burning for days, and anything else you touch... ask me how I know? I wear gloves now when seeding and chopping jalapenoes!
Lemon Ginger Muffins & Broccoli Cheddar Omelets
Posted by: | CommentsWell, I'm in my second trimester now, so you must expect me to have some entries about food, right?! I've been doing alot of cooking and trying some new healthful recipes. I made these high-fiber, healthful muffins a couple of days ago and we're still snacking on them. I'm so enjoying using my new Wonder Mill that Chris surprised me with for Hanukkah last December (how he spoils me!), been doing alot of baking.
I doubled this recipe here below and made two dozen muffins, so that I could freeze a few. I was surprised how much the kids liked these, since they're not very sweet at all, with a lot of texture. They did slather them with butter and honey though. I've been enjoying mine with tea, butter and Polaner's All-Fruit apricot preserves. Mmmmmm....
Lemon Ginger Muffins
Ingredients
1 cup whole-wheat flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
¼ cup rolled oats
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup chopped pecans
1 cup white grape juice concentrate
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp minced lemon zest
1 cup grated carrot
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.
- In large bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, oats, ground ginger, and baking soda. Stir in nuts.
- In medium bowl, combine juice concentrate, eggs, oil, vanilla, fresh ginger, and lemon zest. Whisk to blend. Add the juice mixture to the flour mixture, and stir gently just until the batter is smooth and well blended; do not overmix.
- Gently fold in carrots. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. Bake about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin; let cool completely. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container for 3 days or individually wrapped in plastic wrap (and then in an airtight container or freezer bag) and frozen for a month.
Makes 12 muffins
I found the following recipe here, on the same site as the above one. I haven't tried it yet, but will either today or tomorrow. I know that I've often enjoyed steamed broccoli for breakfast, with tamari sauce, and we'll often make cheddar-cheese omelets with mushrooms, onions and bell peppers. So, this sounds like a yummy twist to me.
Broccoli–Cheddar Omelet
The best omelets are creamy on the inside.
To get that creaminess, be sure not to overcook. Wait to add the broccoli at the end of cooking; otherwise the vegetables will weep liquid into the eggs.
Ingredients
2 large eggs
2 tsp cold water
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup cooked broccoli florets
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Add water, salt, and pepper; whisk another 5 seconds.
- Warm oil in 8- to 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to low; add egg mixture. Cook 10 seconds, until eggs are just set. Using a metal spatula, gently lift the edge of the omelet to let the uncooked egg run underneath. Do this around the perimeter of the pan until most of the uncooked egg has flowed beneath the omelet.
- Cook about 2 minutes, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Cook 1 minute more.
- Spoon the broccoli onto half of the omelet. Using the spatula, fold the other half of the omelet over the filling. Slide the omelet onto a plate and serve hot.
Makes 1 serving.
from our turkeys to yours
Posted by: | CommentsHope you have a gobblin' good Thanksgiving Day!!
We have officially let the celebrating of Thanksgiving begin 'round here! Today the kids and I had fun making these foam hand-print, felt-hatted and feathery, button-eyed, pilgrim wanna-be turkeys (they have clothespins glued to the backs so they can be clipped wherever for decoration).
For dinner tonight we had Pumpkin Waffles with Egg Nog (per T's request). These waffles are so easy to make, very Fallish, and oh so yummy.
Here's how we make them.
Pumpkin Waffles
| RECIPE INGREDIENTS: | |
 |
2 cups all-purpose flour, and 2 cups whole wheat flour combined |
|
1/2 cup sugar |
|
2 tablespoon baking powder |
|
2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ginger |
|
1 teaspoon salt |
|
4 eggs |
|
3 cups milk |
|
8 tablespoons butter, melted |
|
1 cup canned pumpkin |
1. Set up the waffle iron on a countertop or table within easy reach of the cook. Plug in the iron to preheat it.
2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter, and pumpkin. Pour the wet ingredients over the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
3. Coat the preheated waffle iron with cooking spray (if yours needs it, mine doesn't). Pour the waffle batter onto the center of each section of the iron. (You will need 1/4 to 3/4 cup of batter for each waffle.)
4. Cook the waffles for about 4 to 5 minutes or until they are crispy and light brown. (Read the manufacturer's directions for details about how long you should cook the waffles in your particular waffle iron.) Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter. Serves 8.
Some of N's Thankful Thoughts:
That last word that got cut off in the pic there is "food", imagine that!
Some of T's Thankful Thoughts:
Um, yeah, did ya notice how the ponies are before Mom and Dad on both lists? *smirk*
I thought that I'd also share our Thanksgiving Menu for 2006 with you.
Wednesday evening: Chili with a double batch of Mexican Cornbread (Chris and N's fave, requested) & Cheese Cake
Thurs. a.m. & for snacking throughout the day:
- Coffee with Peppermint Mocha creamer
- Egg Nog
- Hot Chocolate
- Sausage Cheese balls (for breakfast, a holiday tradition that Tab has already requested. We're substituting the pork sausage with turkey sausage this year, and I use self-rising flour and add milk until moist enough to make balls).
- Petite Quiches
- Parmesan Spinach Balls (N's favorite, always requested)
Thursday's Thanksgiving Dinner
- Turkey, with Home-made Cornbread Dressing (see recipe below)
- Cranberry Salad (my fave, a recipe I got from a friend years ago, see below)
- Roasted Garlic Mashed potatoes with Turkey drippings/giblet Gravy
- Sweet Potatoe Supreme (see recipe below)
- Crescent Rolls (whole-wheat, made from scratch)
- Yellow Squash & Onion Casserole
- Greenbean Casserole (You know, the recipe on the fried onions can - is there any other?! My sister ventured out into gourmet one year, made a fancy batch of Emeril Agassi's greenbean casserole and everyone was like "WHAT is this? It's NOT greenbean casserole! LOL *k-i-s-s*)
- Greens Salad
Desserts:
- Pumpkin Pies (recipe on the Libby pumpkin can)
- Pecan Pies (I always make two of these, just like my Grandma, recipe below)
- Banana Pudding (per Chris's request)
Friday evening:
- Turkey Noodle Soup (I'll post the recipe later)
- Spinach Dip with
- home-made challah bread (Quick-rise recipe forthcoming)
- and whatever leftovers anyone wants of course!
Here's some pictures of our Thankful Tree, which N, T and I all worked on together last night. As you can probably tell, we all really got into it, and enjoyed making art together! It's hanging on the wall in our entryway/breezeway. I'd meant to make one last year, but never got around to it, so glad that we did this year! It's been a big hit with all of the littles around here. We're still adding leaves, and will probably leave it up through December.
T designed and drew the tree. She decided to add a face to our Thankful Tree (which I helped with).
N designed the moon, adding "the man in the moon", it was completely his idea.
They enjoyed filling the tree and landscape with various critters (check out T's possum and crane), and T had the idea of drawing a captioned "Blessing" coming from the tree's mouth. So, she wrote, "Blessed are thou Oh Lord, King of the Universe, who has strengthened your Love toward us!!"
I love that wolf that N drew, and this little nest with eggs, bluebird, and the woodpecker that T drew, and oh lookey there! Chris is thankful for his beautiful and wonderful wife! Yes, I do believe that we've started a new family tradition around here.
A few of the dishes I'll be preparing tomorrow for our Thanksgiving Feast are family favorites, and the recipes are from my very Southern Grandma Chandler. I'll share her recipes with you here...
CRANBERRY SALAD
Mix together:
- 1 pkg. lemon jello
- 1 pkg. raspberry (or strawberry, or cranberry) jello
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 2 & 2/3 cups boiling water
- Juice of 1 lemon
When above mixture is cooled, add:
- 4 cups of fresh, ground cranberries
- 4 slices of pineapple
- 2 oranges (cut fine, or a can of mandarin oranges- which we prefer)
- 1 cup celery, chopped fine
- 1 cup cut apples
- 1 cup ground English walnuts
Stir and chill. It makes a beautiful and delicious cranberry salad side dish.
SWEET POTATO SUPREME
3 c. sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 eggs beaten
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and put into a casserole dish.
TOPPING
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 c. pecans, chopped
Mix topping and sprinkle over potato mixture (may add a few spoons of milk to moisten, and cinnamon on top of all). Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
PECAN PIE
I always double this recipe to make two pies, which together uses exactly one bottle of Karo syrup.
1 unbaked pie shell 9"
1 c. pecans, chopped
3 eggs
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. white Karo syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 c. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Line unbaked pie shell with pecans. Beat eggs, sugar, salt and karo syrup, vanillia and butter. Pour over pecans in pie shell. Bake 50 minutes in 350 degee oven, or until done.
CORNBREAD STUFFING
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. butter
2 c. diced celery
1.5 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. minced parsley (or just use a couple TBSPs dried)
2 tsp.. poultry seasoning (which I make using 3/4 tsp. sage, 1/4 tsp. leaf thyme, a dash of marjoram, dash of cloves and 1/4 tsp. pepper)
1/2 tsp. pepper
18 c. of your favorite cornbread, crumbled (bake this the day before)
3 eggs, beaten
Saute celery and onions in butter. Mix all ingredients (except broth) and put into a casserole dish. Pour broth over mixture. Bake 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Home-Made Granola Recipe
Posted by: | CommentsI absolutely love this stuff, and make it in big batches (which go very quickly around here). You may add or remove various ingredients as you like, until you come up with your own custom granola mix that your family likes! You can hardly go wrong with granola, so experiment away. Here's what I do, measurements may not be exact, as it's a very organic, comforting process for me.
home-made granola
First, I mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Ingredients, Mix together:
- 12 c.quick rolled or steel-cut oats (Note: The "old fashioned" or steel-cut oats make it chewier, so if you're making it for little ones to eat that may have a harder time chewing well, you may want to use the "quick rolled oats". I sometimes like to use a mixture of both.)
- 3/4 c. wheat germ (though my son is allergic to this, so I now leave it out and double-up on the ground flax seeds, aka. flaxseed meal)
- 1 c. flaxseed meal (I use 2 c., when not adding the wheat germ)
- 8-12 oz. (or 16?) of cocunut, depending upon how much you like it! I use the whole 16 oz. bag!
- 2 c. of slivered almonds (I usually add an extra shake of this too)
- 1-2 c. of pecan pieces (or walnuts would be good too, totally your preference)
- 3/4 c. of sunflower seeds, if you like 'em (we don't) or any other seeds/nuts you want to try
- 2+ tsp. cinnamon
- .25+ tsp. nutmeg (to taste)
- 1.5+ tsp. ginger (I was out of ginger the last time I made it so I added a tsp. of "apple pie spice", which had some ginger, allspice, cloves and cinnamon in it, along with the other spices I'd already added- turned out great!)
- You can sprinkle in some Oat Bran flour over the mix, and mix in (probably about 1/2 c. or so, the more you add, the more bready-type hard *clumps* you'll have in your granola. I don't usually add this, but some might like to add up to 2-4 c. of oat flour- in which case you'd need to add more honey and oil to make it stick together, just experiment, if you want clumps that is). Please note that this is not a necessary ingredient.
Now I start adding in the liquids:
- 1 tsp. almond extract (Add it if I have it on hand, no biggie if I don't!)
- 2.5 tsp. vanilla extract
- Oil: *note* Again, for this ingredient you can experiment and use what you like. I've used 1/4-1/2 c. of high-lignan flax seed oil and a stick of unsalted butter, but now that I've discovered it, I use 1 c. of organic extra virgin coconut oil (which is really, really good for you; click through to read more), or grapeseed oil. Remember: there are no rules with granola, except to make it as yummy and healthful as possible for your family. But basically, you'll need about 3/4 c. of oil for this amount of granola.
- 1.5-2 c. of honey (Definitely use raw honey if you can get it! Also, if its too thick, it can help it to mix easier if you warm it up a bit.)
- 1/4 c. of molasses (or not, whatever you like)
Mix it all up real good and spread on parchment paper, or brown paper bag on the largest cookie sheet you have.
Bake @ 275-300 degrees (depending on your oven, and how long you want to wait) for 20 mins. or so, until golden brown/toasted looking. I even accidentaly burnt a batch the other day, and it was still delicious.
Right after it comes out of the oven, I like to toss in some organic raisins, or dried cranberries. You could add any dried fruit that you like. I've tried baking it with the fruit in it beforehand, and prefer to wait now. I found that the fruit sorta burns faster than the rest of the mix. Let it cool completely before you store it an airtight container. It keeps at room temperature for a couple of weeks, at least, just fine (though one batch has never lasted that long around here).
Hope you like! I end up wanting to eat it for every meal when I make it! It's great with yogurt, milk, kefir or just for munching plain as a snack. Great fiber source, for sure.
Hanukkah Spread ~ Night 5
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We enjoyed another evening of the Feast of Dedication, the Festival of Light, tonight... complete with cheese and potatoe latkes with sour cream, ketchup and apple sauce and a quiche I make, which is unanimously a favorite accompaniment (and fitting, with all the cheese). It was delicious. Tomorrow I plan to make Sufganiyot (doughnuts!) from scratch, for the first time.
Tonight we did something a little differently than we normally do it... we lit our hanukkias before dinner, and ate by the soft glow of the candlelight... it was nice. We listen to, and *try* to sing along with the traditional Chanukah B'rachot (Blessings) (which we listen to from a cd) as we light our 3 hanukkiahs (N and T each have one they fashioned from sculpey clay last year, and the brass one we bought off ebay last year ~ I'll have to get pics of the kids' menorrahs tomorrow night!).
We had fun making these fancy little match boxes yesterday, and they provide a nice place to keep matches especially for lighting our menorrahs, the highlight of our Hanukkah evenings. I've a feeling these will be precious keepsakes in years to come. Tabitha painted the golden menorrah onto the golden box, complete with little red flames on each tip. Nathan made the Star of David on his, and I made the matchstick hanukkiah on felt. They are all lined with felt inside, and have a striking strip on the bottom, very nice... an idea we got from Hanukkah Fun.
Then, after dinner Chris has been reading to us from one of our many Chanukkah childrens' story/picture books, Eight Lights for Eight Nights...
Tabitha asked Dad if she could read our Scriptures for tonight (which usually he reads, and are taken from our Biblical Holidays book). Chris consented (of course), and she read them all beautifully, KJV even! Here's what they were...
The Messiah is the Light of the World
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
~John 1.4-5
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying,
I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
~John 8.12
Then Jesus said unto them,
Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
~John 12.35-36
Last night, our Scripture readings were...
The Light of the Body is the Eye
The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
~Luke 11.34
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
~ Jesus, the Messiah, Acts 26.18
N and T have done some lovely artwork the past few days... here is only part...
"Priest lighting the Menorrah" ~ Tabitha, 12/28
"Still Life of Nathan's Menorrah" ~ Nathan, 12/28
"Star of David" ~ Tabitha, 12/27
"Hanukkiah" ~ Tabitha, Hanukkah 2004
And of course, there have been gifts...
Thanksgiving Recipes~
Posted by: | CommentsWell, I just made these Chex Muddy Buddies tonight (a double batch of course!), and my crew went absolutely bonkers over them... They are DE-LIC-I-O-SSSO! I also made up a triple batch of the classic Chex mix, as found on the Chex cereal boxes. This was my first time ever making the infamous Chex mixes, and they are so YUMMY, great for snackin' over the next couple of days. I enjoyed listening to Tchaikovsky while I cooked, he was being featured on npr, which is what my kitchen radio is usually tuned to if I'm not listening to a cd. Chris played some board games with the kids; Mastermind (a great logic game) with T and N, and then they played Connect Four, an old favorite which they play tournament style.
A few of the dishes I'll be preparing tomorrow are family favorites, and the recipes are from my very Southern Grandma Chandler. I'll share her recipes with you here...
SWEET POTATO SUPREME
- 3 c. sweet potatoes, peeled and mashed
- 1/3 c. butter, melted
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2/3 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and put into a casserole dish.
TOPPING
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1/3 c. flour
- 1/3 c. butter, melted
- 1 c. pecans, chopped
Mix topping and sprinkle over potato mixture (may add a few spoons of milk to moisten, and cinnamon on top of all). Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
PECAN PIE
- 1 unbaked pie shell 9"
- 1 c. pecans, chopped
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 c. white Karo syrup
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/4 c. melted butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Line unbaked pie shell with pecans. Beat eggs, sugar, salt and karo syrup, vanillia and butter. Pour over pecans in pie shell. Bake 50 minutes in 350 degee oven, or until done.
CORNBREAD STUFFING
- 1 c. chicken broth
- 1 c. butter
- 2 c. diced celery
- 1.5 c. chopped onion
- 1/4 c. minced parsley (or just use a couple TBSPs dried)
- 2 tsp.. poultry seasoning (which I make using 3/4 tsp. sage, 1/4 tsp. leaf thyme, a dash of marjoram, dash of cloves and 1/4 tsp. pepper)
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 18 c. of your favorite cornbread, crumbled (bake this the day before)
- 3 eggs, beaten
Saute celery and onions in butter. Mix all ingredients (except broth) and put into a casserole dish. Pour broth over mixture. Bake 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Thankful… & our Thanksgiving Feast Menu~
Posted by: | CommentsToday I'll be cooking, and we'll all be working on a Thankful Tree together. Tabitha made us a pinecone turkey for our centerpiece (he's so cute), and Nathan is making a hand and foot turkey to hang on the wall. Right now they're coloring some color sheets we found and printed out, which they're planning to hang on the doors of their rooms. I liked one of them so much that I've printed it out to color for myself!
We've also been enjoying watching our little birds that visit our two feeders in the backyard, which we can see from our dining room window. One of the feeders brings extra joy to my heart every time I look at it as Chris made it for me last summer, and I painted it. I am reminded that my Lord is always mindful of me and my needs, and will always provide for us...
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father...And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
~Matthew 10.29-31
And that even if all of the plenty we're blessed with now were gone tomorrow, He is still our sustenance, and we will always be secure in His Sovereign Will. This last week, He's been speaking sweet assurance to my soul and gently reminding me that He is our Bread, our Life... May we ever feast on Him...
"I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
~Jesus, John 6.48-51
Last summer, Chris also helped each of the kids to make a birdhouse, both of which are now perched above the feeder, in view. Jehovah-Jireh, I'm thankful today that You have chosen to tabernacle with us when You sent Your Son, Jesus, to save us.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
~Ecclisiastes 3.11
For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
~Romans 5.10
Thank you for my husband whom You have given me, Christopher, and for our children that You have blessed us with, for the honor of homeschooling with them, for our friends and family... Thank you for our men and women in the military, and missionaries, overseas, far from their loved ones this holiday. But most of all I am thankful for You, for your Imagination and Creation, for this Covenant You have made with me and my forefathers... I'm in awe of You... the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
~2 Corinthians 1.20
Last night, Chris read the first half of Meet the Pilgrim Fathers to our kids. He'll finish it tonight. I'm finishing up on laundry and tidying up the place for company we'll be having during Thanksgiving.I'll also start some of the cooking today. Tomorrow, Serena and I will be cooking up a storm! She's bringing her turkey roaster, so we won't have the oven tied up with the turkey all of Thurs. morning, which is good! Speaking of the gobbler, I've got it "brining" as it thaws in a cooler of iced salt (Kosher) water right now. Has anyone else ever done this? I hope it turns out good... And I've got alot of cooking to get busy with, so had better git! Thankfully I'll have Serena and Joelle helping!ps. It's SNOWING outside! How cozy it feels here today! I think I'll go put on my cd by Marty Goetz and his daughter, Festivals of Lights, and maybe Crystal Lewis's jazzy Holiday one too! I'm thankful that we're living here in NE TN now! yippee!! I made a double batch of Buttermilk Banana Bread last night, and will be making Chex party mix today, and a few other things, but we'll do most of our cooking on Wednesday, and Thursday morning.
Happy Thanksgiving!
~ Our Thanksgiving Feast Menu ~
- Sausage Biscuit Cheese Balls (our Holiday breakfast tradition, Taba's favorite!)
- Roasted Turkey & Giblet Gravy
- Cornbread Stuffing
- Homemade Yeast Rolls
- Sweet Potatoe Supreme
- Mashed Potatoes
- Mexican Cornbread (I know, doesn't really go, but it's Chris's favorite!)
- Cranberry Relish (Serena's specialty)
- Parmesan Spinach Balls (Nathan's requested favorite!)
- Bountiful Beer Bread with Spinach Dip
- Heavenly Chocolate Cheesecake (no bake)
- Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake (Rick requested Serena make this)
- Pumpkin Pies (Chris's favorite!)
- Pecan Pies (my favorite!)
- Apple Pie (Nathan's favorite!)
- Coconut Sour Cream Cake (this just sounds YUMMY, we'll see if I get around to it, or even have room in the fridge for it!)
dinner last night
Posted by: | CommentsWell, here's one of our fav. from scratch recipes that I got from my sister, Alicia... mmm, hmmm! Just like Grandma used to make. My daughter, T, and I made some up last night, per my son's request...T loves to roll out and cut the dumplings, and so does my niece.
Alicia's Chicken & Dumplings ("Chickling & Dumplings" as T calls it)
For your stock/broth, boil together (but not too long, lest your chicken get tough);
- 1 whole chicken (or I use a mix of frozen chicken thighs -dark meat on the bone makes better broth, and skinless, boneless frozen chicken breasts- or sometimes I just use chicken breasts- whatever, you get the idea- chicken!)
- 2 qts. water (approximately? I just use a big stock-pot full)
- 2-4 stalks celery, cut into 2-3" sections
- 2 whole onions, cut into quarters
- whole garlic cloves (as many as you'd like), crushed
After the chicken's cooked, you remove it and set it in a bowl to cool. Then I like to let the veggies boil awhile longer, along with the thighs, which don't get tough as do the breasts (which I've removed at this point). If you're using boneless breasts, I've found that they're often ready to remove as soon as the water starts a rolling boil, as they've been cooking as the water's been heating and will continue to cook even after you remove them. You want them to stay tender! When you're ready, once they're almost iridescent, remove all of the other boiled veggies as well, and compost or throw out. You want a nice, clear broth.
Now remove 1/2 cup of this clear broth for your dumplings. (We also always double this and the following dumpling recipe as well, for twice as many dumplings!)...so make that 1 cup of broth. I've found that when I use whole wheat flour, for some reason I don't need as much liquid in my dumplings, so use a little less if you find the same. Making dumplings is basicly like making biscuits, and you'll get better with practice.
Dumplings, mix;
- 2 c. flour (or 4)
- 1 tsp. salt (or 2)
- 2 tsp. baking powder (or 4)
- and then cut in 1 stick of butter (or 1&1/2-2 sticks) Lately I've been cutting the butter amt. in half and using a bit of non-hydrogenated shortening as well, in place of some of the butter.
Now add and mix in the broth, bit by bit until you have a nice, moist dough ball. Then roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into little strips. If I'm in a hurry, I just pinch off pieces and flatten them in my hand instead, dropping them into the pot of boiling broth as I go. If the dumplings are well coated w/flour before you drop them into the boiling broth, the flour will make your broth thicken up very nicely. Drop them into the broth, which must be at a rolling boil, or the dumplings will dissolve. Ask me how I know... yeah, weird.
Also, at this point I've added parsley, salt, and a bit of pepper to the broth as well (after removing the broth for the dumplings, but before adding the dumplings). If the broth still needs a little more thickening, simply stir a couple of Tbsp. of flour into a 1/2 c. or so of milk and then pour it in. Simmer for awhile...
After all the dumplings are cooked (floating and yummy, broth thickening nicely), debone, dice and add your chicken.
Now, enjoy your "chickling and dumplings", along with all the praises your family will undoubtedly give you!
